Summer is in full swing, with so many events happening that your hardest task will be choosing which to enjoy! You can catch a soccer match in Ottawa, learn about textile crafts in Dunvegan, meet artists in a park in Wakefield, see a movie under the stars in Smiths Falls, groove to free porch concerts in Vankleek Hill, enjoy a fair in Beachburg or Lachute, join a guided paddling tour in Arnprior, or drop into a little festival you may have heard of called Ottawa Bluesfest. And those are just a few of the choices! Read on for details.
P.S.: I’ve also included a short list of events coming up in the next few weeks, which I’ll write about in more detail in upcoming posts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- WEEK OF JULY 7 TO JULY 13
- Chat with authors in Eganville
- See beautiful homes and gardens in Perth
- Rock on at LeBreton Flats or at Tremblant
- Catch a play in Gananoque and elsewhere
- Hear free music in Vankleek Hill
- Enjoy volleyball and music at Mooney's Bay
- Join a summer herb walk in Kemptville
- Catch a community celebration in Morrisburg or Elgin
- Tap your toes at a country music festival in Wendover or Notre-Dame-du-Laus
- Discover Japan in Sandy Hill
- Thrill to an equestrian tournament in Nepean
- See buskers in Kingston
- Cheer on soccer players at TD Place
- Get crafty in Dunvegan
- Enjoy art in a park in Wakefield
- See a movie outdoors in Smiths Falls
- Admire cool cars at Lansdowne Park
- Celebrate community in Marionville
- Mess about in boats in Arnprior or Gananoque
- Do yoga under the stars at Lansdowne Park or on Wolfe Island
- Discover a historic site
- Get a taste of the Caribbean in Montreal
- Buy from artisans in Barry's Bay
- Head to a fair in Beachburg or Lachute
- Pick up some used movie-making tech
- Cheer for jumping dogs in Renfrew
- SAVE THE DATE
WEEK OF JULY 7 TO JULY 13
Chat with authors in Eganville
The Bonnechere Authors Festival of weekly author readings kicks off on Monday, July 7, at The Eagle’s Nest at the Egnaville Arena (178 Jane Street, Eganville). Featured authors this year are Wayne Ng (July 7), Amy Tector (July 14), Elizabeth Hay (July 21) and Marilyn Carr (July 28). And there will be dessert, too! It’s a fundraiser for the Bonnechere Union Public Library.
See beautiful homes and gardens in Perth
You can enjoy a day of historic architecture and charming town and country garden retreats at CFUW Perth and District’s Home and Garden Tour on Saturday, July 12. The self-guided tour of two homes and 11 gardens raises funds for university, college and other post-secondary education for local women.
Rock on at LeBreton Flats or at Tremblant
The huge Ottawa Bluesfest on LeBreton Flats runs from July 10 to 20 with a packed lineup of acts, including Green Day, Shania Twain, Sean Paul, Lainey Wilson, Def Leppard, Papa Roach, Kaytranada, Hozier and Turnstile.
Meanwhile, in Tremblant, the Tremblant International Blues Festival (July 9 to 13) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with concerts galore, featuring Sue Foley, The Reverend Shawn Amos, Durham County Poets, Angelique Francis, Jack de Keyzer and many more.
Catch a play in Gananoque and elsewhere
Grab the kids for a musical production about everyone’s favourite magical nanny, Mary Poppins, at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque (July 8 to August 16). Continuing at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg is the comedy The Sweet Delilah Swim Club (until July 27). And this is the last week to see Studio Theatre’s production of the comedy-drama Stepping Out in Perth (until July 13). For details on these and many other plays on stages around the region, see my theatre post.
Hear free music in Vankleek Hill
So, I hear you wondering: What’s a porchfest? It’s an event where local musicians perform on residential porches, for free. The first one took place in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, and the concept has since spread across North America. The Vankleek Hill Porchfest on Saturday, July 12 (noon to 6pm), will feature about two dozen acts on porches and other stages, in a town full of gingerbread-trimmed Victorian houses. An all-artists jam at the Windsor Tavern will start at 6pm.
Enjoy volleyball and music at Mooney’s Bay
The world’s largest one-day volleyball tournament rolls onto Mooney’s Bay Beach in Ottawa on July 11 and 12. The HOPE Volleyball SummerFest features volleyball games galore (natch), concerts by The Glorious Sons, Sloan, Hawksley Workman and Lazzy Lung, and lots of other fun under the sun. Proceeds will support five charities.
Join a summer herb walk in Kemptville
Nokomis Lorraine Rekmans and registered herbalist Rebecca Graves will be leading a summer herb walk in the Ferguson Forest Arboretum and Mino-Jichaag-Mtigwaaki in Kemptville on Saturday, July 12. Participants will explore the healing properties of wild plants and trees. The walk is free, but donations to continue building the Mino-Jichaag-Mtigwaaki Indigenous cultural site are appreciated.
Catch a community celebration in Morrisburg or Elgin
At It’s All About the River on Saturday, July 12, you can check out a vendors’ market, see demonstrations, try arts and crafts, nosh on goodies from food vendors and more. It’s happening in Morrisburg’s Waterfront Park from 10am to 2pm, and admission is free. (P.S.: Wondering what else you can see and do in the Morrisburg area? I have a post for that.)
Meanwhile, the village of Elgin is throwing a bash called Elgin Days (July 10 to 13). It offers a little something for everyone, including a pancake breakfast, bouncy castles, a comedy show, live music, plant and book sales, kite flying, a kitchen party, a parade and more.
Tap your toes at a country music festival in Wendover or Notre-Dame-du-Laus
The Wendover Western Festival (July 9 to 13) offers four days of foot-stomping country music, and if you buy a full-festival pass, you can camp for free. On the western edge of the Laurentians, the Festival Country de Notre-Dame-du-Laus (July 10 to 13) features about a dozen country acts, mainly from Quebec.
Discover Japan in Sandy Hill
The Ottawa Japanese Community Association and Cultural Centre is inviting everyone to come and discover Japanese culture at its Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival) at the Sandy Hill Community Centre on Saturday, July 12. You can enjoy live performances, Japanese food and cultural activities, and shop from local vendors at the indoor/outdoor festival.
Thrill to an equestrian tournament in Nepean
Continuing at Wesley Clover Parks site (401 Corkstown Road, Ottawa) are the Ottawa Summer Tournaments, a series of top-level show-jumping competitions (July 10 to 13). In some cases, rich prizes are at stake.
See buskers in Kingston
The streets of the Limestone City will host countless outdoor performances during Kingston Buskers Rendezvous (July 10 to 13). Jugglers, dancers and all sorts of other artists will be using their talents to entertain the crowds.
Cheer on soccer players at TD Place
On Saturday, July 12, Atlético Ottawa is taking on Hamilton’s Forge FC in a soccer match at TD Place, starting at 3pm.
Get crafty in Dunvegan
The Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan is holding its annual Stitch in Time event on Saturday, July 12. Along with an exhibition of clothing, quilts and other textiles from the museum and private collections, you can hear guest speakers, see demonstrations of skills such as rug hooking and Swedish weaving, and shop from textile vendors. Kids can try felting and sewing, and tackle a scavenger hunt. Food and beverages will be available, too.
Enjoy art in a park in Wakefield
Art in the Park is taking place every Saturday afternoon (noon to 4pm) in July and August in Parc Roquebrune (Turntable Park) in Wakefield. You’ll find it along the scenic pathway between the Wakefield General Store and the End of the Line Boutique. Visitors can take part in free artist-led workshops and demonstrations, enjoy live music, and meet artists in their mobile studios (and buy their works).
See a movie outdoors in Smiths Falls
Smiths Falls kicks off its summer season of free Thursday night family movies in Centennial Park (under the water tower) on Thursday, July 10, with Moana 2.
Admire cool cars at Lansdowne Park
If flashy vehicles get your motor runnin’, drop by Lansdowne Park on July 12 and 13 for Cars and Coffee Ottawa. From 10am to 2pm each day, owners will be displaying their prized wheels in this fundraiser for the OSEG Foundation, which supports youth and community sports.
Celebrate community in Marionville
Throughout the summer, North Dundas is hosting a series of Meet Me on Main Street events in communities throughout the township. This week’s event is happening on Wednesday, July 9, in Marionville. Local vendors and food producers will be on hand, including Smokie Ridge Vineyard and King’s Lock Craft Distillery, and there will be live music by Green Martini. Marionville is about a 15-minute drive southeast of Metcalfe.
Mess about in boats in Arnprior or Gananoque
The Thousand Islands Boat Museum in Gananoque is hosting its popular annual Boat Show on Saturday, July 12, from 11am to 3pm. You can see and tour classic yachts, get a selfie on a tugboat, enjoy crafts for kids and adults, dig into Mexican food from El Gringo in Kingston, and enjoy live music.
Also on Saturday, July 12, PaddleFest returns to McLean Avenue Beach in Arnprior. Join a guided paddling tour, compete in a kayak-assembling contest, shop from vendors, do yoga on the beach, and enjoy live music and food trucks.
Do yoga under the stars at Lansdowne Park or on Wolfe Island
It’s a full moon on Thursday, July 10, and that means you can do free yoga under the moon (and stars) at Lansdowne Park. The session starts at 9pm.
That same night, you can do full moon yoga on Wolfe Island, a short ferry ride from Kingston. That event also includes journaling, meditation and a bonfire, and runs from 6pm to 9pm.
Discover a historic site
Some 400 historic sites across Canada are participating in Historic Places Days (July 11 to 20). Some sites have events scheduled, while others are simply offering a special invitation to come check them out. Click on the “places” tab in the link above to find sites near you participating in the day. The Vanier Museopark, the Billings Estate in Alta Vista and Laurier House in Sandy Hill are among the participating sites in Ottawa. Further afield, they include the Spencerville Mill and Museum, Manoir Papineau in Montebello, and the L’Orignal Old Jail.
Get a taste of the Caribbean in Montreal
A Taste of the Caribbean in the Old Port of Montreal (July 10 to 13) gives you the chance to sample dishes and drinks from many tropical islands. There will also be artisans’ stalls, kids’ activities and lots of music. Admission is free.
Buy from artisans in Barry’s Bay
In Barry’s Bay, the Madawaska Valley Artisan Festival is showcasing works by local creators at the Railway Station arts centre on Saturday, July 12, from 10am to 3pm.
Head to a fair in Beachburg or Lachute
This week, you could visit Quebec’s oldest fair, which is also the second-oldest fair in Canada: the Expo Lachute Fair (July 10 to 13). It features a demolition derby, live music, kids’ activities, a midway, monster trucks, agricultural competitions and more. The video above, from the 2023 fair, gives you a taste of what you can expect.
On the Ontario side of the river, the Beachburg Fair (July 10 to 13) features everything from livestock competitions and pony rides to an ATV poker run and square dancing. There’s lots of live music and a midway, too.
Pick up some used movie-making tech
The Digital Arts Resource Centre in Ottawa is holding a garage sale on Saturday, July 12, from 10am to 1pm, in the SAW Courtyard (67 Nicholas Street). Gear up for grabs includes screens, cameras, computers and even some CDs of sound effects.
Cheer for jumping dogs in Renfrew
Cure for the Summertime Blues is a two-day dog-jumping event at Avalon Ranch in Renfrew on July 12 and 13. The concept is pretty simple: people throw things off a dock and dogs leap off the dock after them. Sometimes, the simple things in life are the most fun—especially in summer. And if you think your pooch has what it takes, you can register him or her as a competitor.
SAVE THE DATE
Here are a few upcoming events you might want to add to your calendar, if you’re planning ahead. (Look for details on these events and many others in upcoming posts.)
- July 16 to 20: Ottawa Lebanese Festival
- July 16 to 26: Festival Parasol, Gatineau
- July 18 to 20: Stewart Park Festival, Perth
- July 18 to 27: Ottawa Chamberfest
- July 19: Hartwell Locks Lock and Paddle, Ottawa
- July 19: Arnprior Dragon Boat Festival
- July 19 to August 16: St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Prescott
- July 24 to 26: Thousand Island Open, Kingston (fishing derby)
- July 24 to 27: Delta Fair
- July 24 to 27: Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival
- July 26: Bridge Street Summerfest, Carleton Place
- July 31 to August 3: Les FestivILES, Gananoque
- August 1 and 2: Glengarry Highland Games, Maxville
- August 2 to 9: Smiths Falls Old Home Week
- August 8 to 10: Ottawa International Busker Fest
- August 8 to 10: Twist Fibre Festival, Saint-André-Avellin
- August 8 to 10: 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run
- August 8 to 17: Water and Dirt Festival, Renfrew County
- August 9 and 10: Trainfest, Smiths Falls
- August 14 to 17: Ottawa Greek Festival
- August 16 to 24: Capital Pride, Ottawa
- August 22 and 23: Ottawa Valley Buskerfest, Pembroke
- August 22 to 24: Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival, Maniwaki
- August 24: Tour de Bonnechere, Eganville
- August 27 to 31: Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.